Respiratory apparatus



Jan. 26, 1943. F. G. MANSON ET AL 2,30

RESPIRATORY APPARATUS Filed Dec. 31, 1940 FRANK 6/74/vso/v LMMES d. M/ 7-S/(E)/ 7 JR/VEVS Patented Jan. 26, 1943 2,309,130 RESPIRATORY APPARATUS Frank G. Manson and James J. Maskey,

Dayton, Ohio Application December 31, 1940, Serial No. 372,655

6 Claims. (01. 128-147) (Granted and... the act of March a. 1883, as amended April 30, 1928; 370 0. G. 757) The invention described herein may be manufactured and used by or for the Governmentfor governmental purposes, without the payment to us of any royalty thereon.

This device relates to an apparatus used in connection with the supply of oxygen for respiratory purposes.

The device particularly relates to a mouthpiece apparatus having new and novel features which render it efiicient in operation and which facilitate the support thereof by the user with a minimum of effort and inconvenience.

It is an object of this invention to provide in a mouthpiece member a novel arrangement of parts which facilitates supporting the same in operative position without discomfort or fatigue and which will permit the user to speak in approximately a normal manner.

It is a further object of this invention to provide in combination with a mouthpiece member a relatively simple and efficient valve member.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a mouthpiece member with a new and novel sump arrangement.

Other objects of invention will become apparent from the following description taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which Fig. 1 is a rear elevational View of theapparatus.

Fig. 2 is a front elevational view.

Fig. 3 is a side elevational view.

Fig. 4 is a bottom plan view. i

Fig. 5 is a cross sectional view along the lines 55 of Fig. 2 with the chin rest member removed, and

Fig. 6 is a detailed elevational view of the valve member.

Referring to the drawing, the mouthpiece member I is provided with a hollow cylindrical portion 2 and a closure member 3, screw threaded thereinto. Extending rearwardly of the mouthpiece member and operatively connected with the hollow cylindrical portion 2 is a rectangular hollow stem 4 provided with a pair of projecting portions 5 adapted to fit in back of the teeth of the user. As shown in the drawing, the forward surface of the projecting portions is inclined rearwardly outwardly at [8 to facilitate reception of the projecting portions in back of the teeth of the user. Projecting forwardly from member I is a hollow cylindrical member 6 for receiving a tube 1 in communication with chamber 2. Tube 1 is preferably made of metal and is adapted to be inserted into an oxygen supply tul e (not shown) connected to a source of oxygen under a predetermined "pressure. The tube is provided with a beaded portion 8 for retaining the oxygen supply tube in place. I

The mouthpiece member may be composed of molded thermoplastic orhard rubber, or may be formed by fabrication of a metal shell covered with latex sheet or sprayed rubber, or by a combination of these compositions.

The apparatus is also provided with a saliva collecting sump. Referring to Fig. 3. of the drawing, chamber 2 is shown as being provided with a forwardly and downwardly extending sump portion 9. A screw threaded plug I0 is operatively associated with thesump for draining and cleaning purposes.

For the purpose of preventing the flow of oxygen when the user is not inhaling, the apparatus is provided with a valve member i3. Referrin to Figs. 3, 5 and 6, this valve member is positioned between the oxygen receiving hollow cylindrical member on one side and the stem and sump on the other side. The valve member is in the nature of a diaphragm and is formed of relatively thin rubber material or the like having a plurality'of slits l5. The slits are of such a size, depending upon the resiliency of the rubber, that they will open under a difference in pressure incident to normal breathing. The valve member is made of such a size that a sufiicient number of slits [5 of a' given size can be placed therein to supply oxygen to the user at approximately the normal rate of human consumption. The valve member may be said to separate the chamber into separate compartments including a reservoir compartment with which the inlet member is associated and a supply compartment with which the outlet member is associated To operatively position the valve member in chamber I, there are provided beaded portions I4 adapted to be received in retaining slots is in member I. The valve member is laterally insertable in the chamber upon removal of closure member 3.

Support of the device in operative position is facilitated by chin rest II. This chin rest is attached to mouthpiece member I by means of a dovetailed part I! received in a correspondingly dovetailed slot l2 in member I. The stem and the chin rest members are arranged at an acute angle with respect to each other and the stem portion is of such a length that, with the projecting portions 5 in position immediately in back of the teeth of the user, and particularly the lower projecting portion in back of the lower teeth of the user, the chin rest member will be pressed against the chin of the user with a sufficient force to position and at least partially support the mouthpiece member. By reason of this arrangement the reactive forces exerted by the lower teeth and the chin of the user serve to retain the mouthpiece in operative position.

The chamber 2 in mouthpiece member I is made of such a size as to accommodate a valve large enough to supply oxygen to the user at approximately a normal breathing rate when the valve member is subjected to a pressure difference incident to normal breathing of the user. It is essential that the valve member be composed of highly resilient material so that the slits I5 will completely close when the pressure difierence incident to breathing is not in elfect. In other words the slits are designed to remain closed under the normal pressure of the oxygen supply line but will open when a pressure difference incident to inhalation is established.

Although a single preferred embodiment of the invention has been described, it is to be understood that changes and modifications may be made in the description without departing from the spirit and substance of the invention. Various modifications and Changes may be made by those skilled in the. art without departing from the inventive concept and it is intended that the invention be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In combination, a casing having an open ended distributor chamber therein, a closure member for said open end, an inlet and an outlet member communicatively connected with said chamber, and a valve member received in said chamber and separating said inlet and outlet members, said valve. member including a slitted resilient diaphragm member having beaded edges, and said casing being provided with recesses opening into said chamber for receiving said beaded edges to thereby operatively position said valvemember.

2. A mouthpiece for breathing apparatus comprising a hollow casing, inlet and outlet means for said casing, valve means separating said inlet and outlet means, said inlet means being adapted to be connected to a source of oxygen, said outlet means including a stem adapted to be received in the mouth of the user and having a laterally extending projection adapted to fit in back of the lower teeth of the user, and a chin-rest member carried by said casing and arranged at such an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the stem that the reactive forces exerted by the chin and lower teeth of the user serve to retain the mouthpiece in operative position without causing undue fatigue on the part of the user, and permitting him to converse normally.

3. A device as recited in claim 2, in which said chin-rest member is formed of material which is slightly resilient to thereby be self-adjusting for different users.

4. A mouthpiece for breathing apparatus comprising a casing, valve means in said casing, inlet means communicatively connected with said casing on the inlet side of said valve means, outlet means communicatively connected with the outlet side of said valve means, said outlet means including a stem adapted to be received in the mouth of the user, said stem having a laterally extending projection adapted to be received in back of the lower teeth of the user, and a chinrest member carried by said casing and arranged at such an acute angle with respect to the longitudinal axis of the stem that the reactive forces exerted by the chin and lower teeth of the user serve to retain the mouthpiece in operative position.

5. A mouthpiece for breathing apparatus comprising a casing having a chamber therein, valve means dividing said chamber into separate compartments including a reservoir compartment and a. supply compartment, a relatively restricted inlet member communicatively connected with said reservoir compartment and adapted to be connected to a source of oxygen under pressure, a relatively restricted outlet member communicatively connected with said supply compartment and constituting a stem adapted to be received in the mouth of the. user, said valve comprising a resilient diaphragm member of such a size and having a suflicient number of slits therein of a given size to pass oxygen at approximately the normal rate of human consumption when sub-. jected to a pressure difference incident to. normal inhalation.

6. A mouthpiece for breathing apparatus comprising a Casing having a chamber therein, valve means. dividing said chamber into separate compartments, an inlet member communicatively connected with one of said compartments, an outlet member communicatively connected with the other of said compartments and constituting a stem adapted to be received in the mouth of the user, the outer end of said stem having a laterally extending projection adapted to fit inback of the lower teeth of the user, sumpmeans operatively associated with said other of said compartments, and a chin-rest member arranged at such an acute angle with respect to said stem that the reactive forces exerted by the chin and lower teeth of the user serve to retain the mouthpiece in operative position. 

